


Soul Calibur V- Episode I

by TheThirdCharles



Series: Soul Calibur V [1]
Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Gen, Origin Story, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 03:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10528497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdCharles/pseuds/TheThirdCharles
Summary: I'm a huge fan of Soul Calibur, and as you'd imagine, I was hype as hell for SCV. After playing it, I was severely disappointed by the story mode, but I felt there were a lot of cool ideas that could be utilized to turn it into a better narrative. The character designs and rough outline of the story were really good, so I took the liberty of rewriting the game on the same tracks, reworking the character personalities and adding in the characters who were inexplicably cut (here's looking at you, Talim). This is the first episode of an adaptation of SCV as a series of anime scripts.After a brief history of the holy sword Soul Calibur and the demon sword Soul Edge, Patroklos Alexander sets out to lead a siege against a Malfested Stronghold.





	

Soul Calibur V Episode 1

BLACK SCREEN

ELYSIUM (AS NARRATOR)  
In the times long before recorded history, mankind killed his fellows as he does now, without mercy or a moment's pause. Lives were snuffed out over scraps of food and the triviality of land and countries throwing their children to their deaths over meager issues of vanity and pride. It was a cruel, directionless existence.

There appears a lone line of red-orange down the middle of the screen. It begins to shine brightly, so brightly that its revealed to be a sword, and behind it is ALGOL, the warrior king of the pre-historical period. He smirks, admiring the blade.

ELYSIUM  
That was until the rise of the warrior king Algol. In his vast campaigns, he had managed to conquer the known world. His sword alone had felled thousands foolish enough to stand in his way or unfortunate to provoke his infamous wrath.

The area behind Algol is now illuminated to reveal that there are thousands of soldiers, his HORDE, standing behind him, a hundred feet below his position. Algol raises his sword.

ELYSIUM  
Nothing stood against Algol, as his soldiers marched to the ends of the earth, their king leading their bloodiest charges, snapping resistance like brush underneath and stealing lives as if they were worthless.

Algol raises his sword. The Horde does the same.

ELYSIUM  
He was a master of conquest, but there was one thing the warrior king had not anticipated.

Zoom to Algol's sword, SOUL EDGE. It begins to grow dark with blood. The sword grows into a dark combination of flesh and steel with an eye in the middle of the blade.

ELYSIUM

In all of the lives it had taken, in all of the blood it had spilled, in all of the hearts it had made cease to beat, the sword had grown envious. It had tasted the souls of a world razed by war, and for the first time, it hungered for more.

In the middle of Soul Edge, an evil eye opens and stares into the center of the screen. Algol brings down the sword to examine it, and smiles upon seeing his unwitting creation.

ELYSIUM  
The sword had transformed into a harbinger of genocide, the cursed sword, Soul Edge.

Algol raises the sword again.

ELYSIUM  
But all the warrior king saw was a new ally and tool to bring about his total supremacy. Any defiance would be met with a swift death at the hand of Soul Edge, and the sword would gorge on the souls of the fallen, absorbing their power and becoming the monster it knew it was destined to become.

Algol stands before a field of bodies that he had slain with Soul Edge. He's tired from the battle, but Soul Edge isn't. Soul Edge is beating like a heart and evolving before his eyes. He's concerned, but dismisses it as he raises the sword in the direction of the bodies.

ELYSIUM  
Quickly growing, Soul Edge became the warrior king's most valued ally, consuming that which it destroyed, never achieving satisfaction.

The souls of the bodies rise screaming and are sucked into Soul Edge. Even Algol feels uneasy about this.

ELYSIUM  
Though the sword's blood magic kept his mind sharp and ceased his body's aging, it was no longer Algol's name that sent instinctual terror down the spines of the innocent. He could destroy your body, your village, your loved ones, but it was his sword that devoured your very essence. The sword reduced its victims to a fate worse than death. They would be fuel on the fire of the Soul Edge, honing it into the perfect killing machine until it had consumed all, and Algol ruled an empire of bodies.

Algol presents Soul Edge to his son, ARCTURUS, who kneels and accepts it.

ELYSIUM  
Algol had passed the sword to his son, in fear of the actions the blade had led him to commit were now weighing on his soul. For the first time, the warrior king felt remorse, although he was able to conceal it under the pride he felt of his two proudest creations joining forces.

Algol stands on a balcony at his imperial palace, looking forlorn at the world he shaped.

ELYSIUM  
This repression wouldn't last long. Algol observed the destruction the sword had caused, but more than he felt grief for those he had destroyed, he felt anger that it had stolen his legacy, though he soon learned that wasn't nearly all it would take from him.

Arcturus stands behind Algol, Soul Edge drawn, a devious smile on his face. Algol turns, hurt beyond words at this betrayal. He draws his sword and fights his son.

ELYSIUM  
The sword wanted another soul- a familiar one- the most powerful across the face of the earth. Algol couldn't accept this, but turned to fight.

Algol has killed Arcturus, and falls to his knees, crying. He slams his fists on the ground and glares furiously at Soul Edge.

ELYSIUM  
Having killed his own son to end the madness, Algol then turned his fury on the sword.

Algol tries in vain to destroy the sword. He puts it in lockup in an isolated temple.

ELYSIUM  
Alas, it was impervious to his blows and he decided to imprison it to never be wielded upon threat of death.

A THIEF steals Soul Edge, as the sword transforms to a narrower sword better suited to his style. The thief smiles widely.

ELYSIUM  
He was foolish to believe such a decree would work.

Algol stands in the center of a circle of clerics, holding a new, sacred sword.

ELYSIUM  
In desperation, he came to realize that if Soul Edge was a manifestation of the worst of him, it could be fought with an embodiment of the best in him, his sense of honor and any semblance of justice he had once grasped. He gathered his clerics to aid in the creation of a sacred sword to destroy the evil blade.

Algol is overwhelmed by a blue light and collapses, leaving the sword floating in midair, covered in blue crystals. The clerics approach and carry the king away. Other clerics stand around the sword and begin to purify it.

ELYSIUM  
Algol's soul, having given much of itself to create the sword, became dormant in his ageless body, to be sealed away by his clerics for millennia to come. The sword itself, christened Soul Calibur, was found to be a sword of pride and conquest, much like the blade it was made to destroy, and it took years of purification before it was truly a sword of good.

SOUL CALIBUR wielder clashes with SOUL EDGE wielder.

ELYSIUM  
Finally, the swords did battle and through the sheer might of the two titanic powers, a victor emerged.

Soul Calibur shatters Soul Edge into fragments. Its wielder then kills the Soul Edge wielder. The fragments of Soul Edge were caught on the wind and blown across the world. One lands first at the feet of CERVANTES, then at the feet of SIEGFRIED, then TIRA, then SOPHITIA. Blackout, followed by an orange glow of a Soul Edge fragment. PYRRHA, a small child, maybe 3, reaches out and grasps the fragment, entranced.

ELYSIUM  
Though the demon sword was defeated, it was far from gone. Its fragment took to the wind and spread far across the world to be wielded again and again by souls possessed of a familiar darkness. Each time, Soul Calibur has risen to fight it, but each time the battle results in a similar standstill and the land is engulfed in tragedy. Though this time, the sacred swords have chosen their own champions from birth, and the clash may be one to end the struggle once and for all. Will this be the cycle that decides a champion and lays this age-old conflict to rest?

Fade to black. Open on a wooden wall with weapons on it. Shadows of REBELS, poorly equipped citizen-soldiers, run by. Another of TWO REBELS run by, one grabbing a long-sword and the other grabbing a spear. More shadows run by the wall. FIRST and SECOND REBEL talk as they walk hurriedly out of the armory. There's the sound of cannon fire in the distance.

FIRST REBEL  
The Graf's armies are nearing the gates! Are we ready to repel 'em?

SECOND REBEL  
Sir, we'd been letting in refugees the past week; hell, we had the gate open for them this morning.

THIRD REBEL runs up, tired and panicked, carrying two hand-axes.

THIRD REBEL  
The Graf's armies are attacking the east gate, but it looks like it's holding.

FIRST REBEL  
Damn good. We'd better get over there to back them up.

First and Second Rebels begin to run to the east gate.

THIRD REBEL  
NO! You can't!

First Rebel pulls Third Rebel close and begins to desperately yell at him.

FIRST REBEL  
I'm an officer here, whelp. You don't tell me what to do, but I'm telling you to get your ass to the east gate and fight!

SECOND REBEL  
You can't afford to get complacent at a time like this. We've taken in refugees fleeing Graf Dumas. He'll kill us all if he gets through, so you'd better damn well-

Third Rebel begins to run for the west gate. First and Second Rebel follow him, walking initially, but gradually breaking into a run.

THIRD REBEL  
Look, the gate's open!

FIRST REBEL  
What?! This is sabotage!

THIRD REBEL  
I'm not arguing there, but we're wide open on the other side!

SECOND REBEL  
Sir, I think we'd better go.

FIRST REBEL  
Fine! Move! Move!

They're outside of the armory. It's the afternoon, bright outside with simple, but sturdy walls surrounding the city. Behind the armory are some plain wooden homes heading into a further into town with a large church in the center. Indeed, the large wooden gate is wide open. The Rebels scrounge for a door bar, Two watching the gate, One searching near the gate, and Three checking further back.

SECOND REBEL  
There it is. You, get the bar.

THIRD REBEL  
On it.

First Rebel speaks nervously. His drill-sergeant persona starts to show cracks of humanity and fear.

FIRST REBEL  
Hurry it up. I hear Dumas sent his best.

SECOND REBEL  
That boy with more of a grudge against those monsters than the Graf?

FIRST REBEL  
That's the one.

PATROKLOS, a blonde young man of about 20, in a white noble outfit, with a sheathed longsword rides on his HORSE from an angle that only shows just below the eye-line. Cut back to First Rebel, nervously scanning for a bar.

FIRST REBEL  
I heard back before I broke sergeant or he'd even turned twenty, he'd killed fifty of those things.

Third Rebel begins to panic a bit. Second Rebel keeps his cool and keeps eyeing the road. First Rebel puts a reassuring hand on Third Rebel's shoulder and motions where he's found a door bar.

THIRD REBEL  
Malfested? Fifty malfested?! No way! Have you seen one of them?

SECOND REBEL  
All due respect, sir, the malfested don't exist. Knights gone mad because of some evil sword? More like men wanting something to blame the way they act on some old myth.

First and Third carry the bar to the door.

THIRD REBEL  
I saw one once. He had some sort of demon strength. Clear cut a family in half as they were running away from him. Ate their souls, too.

FIRST REBEL  
Schoolboy's fairy tales. But the Graf has been using it to slaughter anyone opposed to him on the charge of them being these beasts. And unfortunately for us, he's got an army thick enough to fall for it, but by far the worst is his young enforcer.

Pat, still riding his horse, can see the end of the forest and the start of a road. First and Third Rebels carry the bar to the gate.

THIRD REBEL  
He killed fifty of those monsters. How bad can he be?

SECOND REBEL  
How many were actually monsters?

FIRST REBEL  
He and Dumas are the only monsters in that myth. Lucky for us, we can finish this up and take them on with the rest of our men.

Pat rounds the bend of the tree line. He's now on the direct road to the town and closing fast. Second Rebel spots him and shouts to the others.

SECOND REBEL  
SIR!

FIRST REBEL  
What?!

SECOND REBEL  
Enemy horseman charging the gate!

FIRST REBEL  
No time! Close it first!

The door is a two-sided gate. First Rebel pushes the right side of it while the other Rebels push the left. They're making little progress.

FIRST REBEL  
Push, damn you!

Third Rebel stumbles while pushing. Second Rebel barely catches the door.

THIRD REBEL  
Ugh!

By now, the Pat is closing in. The door won't shut and First Rebel backs up to draw his weapon.

FIRST REBEL  
Incompetent bastard! Get ready t-

Pat bursts through the door, his horse knocking down First Rebel, who flies back a dozen feet. Pat's horse brings him to the indisposed First Rebel attempting to get up, and Pat draws his sword, putting it to First Rebel's throat. Second and Third Rebels draw their weapons.

PATROKLOS  
If you value your officer's life, you'll put down your weapons and surrender. There's no sense in throwing your lives away.

Second and Third Rebels mutter amongst themselves. To their surprise, Pat hears them.

SECOND REBEL  
It's him... damn it. Why was the goddamn gate open?

PAT  
I had figured I'd climb it, but somebody's made my job quite a bit easier.

THIRD REBEL  
I think we've got bigger concerns, like how the psychopath's got both a sword and a horse pinning down our commanding officer.

Pat turns his head to the Two standing Rebels.

PAT  
That's a fine point you've got there. Now, why don't you lay down those arms. Graf Dumas doesn't want any innocents to die and neither do I.

Second Rebel steps forward angrily. Pat puts his sword closer to First Rebel's throat and the Other Rebels stop their advance.

SECOND REBEL  
Big talk, but by your lord's standards, we're a bunch of massive, hell-spawn golems. There's no malfested here or anywhere, you monster.

PAT  
That's for us to find.

First Rebel starts taunting him, hoping to give the others an opportunity to strike Pat down.

FIRST REBEL  
Gutless son of a whore! Charging in, taking me hostage! You'd never last in a fair fight! Killing farmers and peasants... you're worse scum than those sick delusions you claim to be hunting.

Pat grows silent and his eyes fill with an intense rage that glares into First Rebel's soul. First Rebel cringes expecting to be stabbed. Pat's sword comes down next to his head. Pat whistles a loud signal to his horse and quickly rides it around First Rebel's petrified body and swiftly dismounts with a roll over First Rebel, grabbing his sword and landing in the center of the Three Rebels. All the while, his left arm stays covered by a short cloak. He brings his blade horizontal just below his eye-line. Rebels Two and Three raise their weapons.

PAT  
Well, what are you waiting for?

Third Rebel begins to charge. Second soldier cleaves down his spear at Pat. Pat back-steps. He quickly jumps back, onto the spear, driving it into the ground. Pat kicks Second Rebel in the face, and turns in time to see Third Rebel leap at him. Pat jumps off the spear and swings around his cape to reveal a shield. The shield smacks Third Rebel in the head and he drops his axes. Pat lands, then immediately spins to deflect a slash from First Rebel with his sword. First Rebel steps to come down on Pat with a slash from above, but Pat's shield catches the Rebel's sword. Pat cuts him somewhat deeply on his stomach. An axe flies between Pat and First Rebel. Pat turns to see Third Rebel juggling his remaining axe, excited to have almost hit Pat. Second Rebel thrusts his spear, which Pat sidesteps. Second Rebel twirls his spear over his head as if to bring it down with great momentum. Pat ducks, going low and slashes out his knees. Second Rebel falls, his legs gone limp, letting go of his spear and cringing on the way down.

SECOND REBEL  
Aaah...

Third Rebel kicks at Pat, who dodges it. Pat swings at Third Rebel, who dodges it to come down on Pat with a strike from his axe. Pat blocks it using his shield and prepares to stab him, but Third rebel flips the axe and smacks Pat in the face with the heavy axe handle positioned under the shield. Third Rebel chuckles, as Pat twists up his sword to cut off the axe's head. He kicks a surprised Third Rebel in his neck and sends him spiraling back. Third Rebel stays down. First Rebel struggles to stand and drops his sword, grasping his wound. Second Rebel crawls towards Third Rebel's body.

FIRST REBEL  
Do you know what you've done!? That boy was in the prime of his life and you come in here and kill him. How many like that have you butchered?!

SECOND REBEL  
...Over a legend, no less...

Pat cleans the blood off of his sword. His voice shows a bit of compassion, but trying to stay professional.

PAT  
Stay down, both of you. Hang on until the trial and you can still be cleared.

FIRST REBEL  
I'm not... done... with you... Finish it. Gutless...

Pat walks up to First Rebel, who cringes and steps back. With the limp from the wound, he's now shorter than Pat.

PAT  
You're one to talk. But seriously, don't move around so much or it'll all come spilling out. We're going to hunt the malfested inhabiting this town, but if you come up innocent, you've got nothing to fear.

SECOND REBEL  
... Like my... my damn legs'll work again, you bastard?

Cut to the view of Third Rebel's head from a view on the ground. His eyes are closed in apparent death.

PAT  
You're defending a town of malfested. You made your choice. Speaking of which, are you going to get up anytime soon?

His eyes open, now with an orange tint. He smiles sadistically, and rises eerily to his feet.

THIRD REBEL  
Give me a minute, why don't you?

First and Second Rebels look mortified at Third Rebel, who snaps his neck back into place and stands up cackling.

FIRST REBEL  
The hell is this, son?

Third Rebel and Pat square off, walking in a wide circle. Third Rebel picking up his intact axe.

THIRD REBEL  
How could you tell?

PAT  
With the weak ones, you can just sense it. Brimming with bloodlust, wanting to spread misery as wide as they can. And terrible actors to boot.

SECOND REBEL  
The gate... it was you!

Third Rebel, above Second Rebel, stoops down to mock him, face to face.

THIRD REBEL  
Guilty. I figured I'd throw a wrench into the plucky little rebel plan.

FIRST REBEL  
And to lure an officer away from the front? That's why you called us here, isn't it?

THIRD REBEL  
Well, that and you're an asshole. I figure it'd be fun to see you torn apart.

SECOND REBEL  
You let the man most revered for killing your kind into the city. Any minute, his army is going to overrun it. If nothing else, you're a dead man.

Third Rebel laughs, gesturing his axe at Pat.

THIRD REBEL  
This boy's army has been running around killing anyone that looks at them funny, calling them a malfested. He's been taking bumpkins like you, accusing you of being like me, and burning you at the stake. He's no more a warrior more than I'm a nun. Give my regards to Dumas for me.

Third Rebel begins to walk for the gate. Pat raises his sword.

PAT  
Where the hell do you think you're going?

Third Rebel stops.

THIRD REBEL  
You're right. Where are my manners?

He kicks up Second Rebel's spear and stabs Second Rebel at the base of the neck. First Rebel, heavily bleeding, grabs his sword from the ground. Pat is a bit shocked, the Malfested being faster than he had expected.

FIRST REBEL  
YOU EVIL BASTARD! TAKE ME TOO! TRY IT!

THIRD REBEL  
Now that you mention it...

He leaps to swing the spear at First Rebel, which is blocked by Pat. Third Rebel is furious.

THIRD REBEL  
I was going to let you go, you dumb son of a bitch. Killing so many people, why you're almost like kin to me!

Third Rebel spins, swinging his axe at Pat, who deflects it with his sword. He thrusts his spear several times at Pat, who dodges.

PAT  
I'm nothing like you! I only kill in the name of something greater than all this!

Third Rebel locks his axe with Pat's sword and smiles widely.

THIRD REBEL  
Us too! Soul Edge is going to be the end of you all! You may as well embrace the fact and feed your soul to a power greater than you can imagine! You may meet some friends when you do!

Pat gives a battle cry and overwhelms him with pressure on the axe, and Third Rebel grimaces and pulls back, getting nervous.

THIRD REBEL  
Struck a nerve, have I? Father, brother?

He throws his axe, which Pat deflects with his shield, and Pat continues to charge.

THIRD REBEL  
Sister? Mother?!

He swings his spear at Pat, who dodges it, then angrily cleaves down with his shield and breaks the spear in two. Third Rebel becomes afraid, staring at the broken spear. Pat moves in close and impales Third Rebel almost vertically. The orange glow begins to fade as Third Rebel winces and begs.

PAT  
You're done.

THIRD REBEL  
No no no no no. It's not meant to be like this! You- you don't understand!

PAT  
May your spirit be cleansed in the grace of the after-life.

THIRD REBEL  
No no no NOOO!!

Pat pushes up the sword, hitting more vitals. Third Rebel falls down, actually dead this time. First Rebel looks on in near delirious awe. Pat sheathes his sword.

FIRST REBEL  
My God...

PAT  
Keep pressure on the wound.

FIRST REBEL  
...Can you fight, boy...

He looks up at Pat, who looks back sympathetically. DUMAS' SOLDIERS, numbering around twenty enter through the gate. DUMAS OFFICER enters the gate. He's a grizzled veteran, taller than Pat, a commander he'd served with for quite some time, and has a scar across his face.

DUMAS OFFICER  
They're holding the east gate, sir, but we heard your signal. We're moving through the city and the rebellion is as good as crushed.

PAT  
Very good. Continue the search. Spare no malfested. Prepare for the Cardinal's trials.

DUMAS OFFICER  
Yes, sir. And this one?

PAT  
A casualty. Fought me when I arrived. If he runs around any more, he's liable to split in two. Put him in custody then continue the search.

FIRST REBEL  
...They are real...

Pat walks away from the Dumas Soldiers, as they help up First Rebel and leave to put him with the other captives. Pat looks at them leaving, a bit worried for First Rebel, when he hears a creak in the wooden door in a nearby church. He turns to see the door quietly and slowly shutting.

DUMAS SOLDIER  
Problem, sir?

PAT  
Have you forgotten there's an insurgency to put down? Take the men and take the rebels by surprise from within their own wall. Hitting them on two sides, they'll be done soon.

Dumas Officer shows mild fear at the mention of the Cardinal.

DUMAS OFFICER  
Are you sure you won't be joining us, sir? The Cardinal will be arriving shortly from the other gate, and you know how... eccentric he can be if he feels disrespected.

PAT  
I'll be fine, now go.

DUMAS OFFICER  
You heard Lord Patroklos. Through the city!

Dumas Soldiers have their weapons drawn and move stealthily into the city to surprise the rebels from behind their lines. Pat similarly draws his sword and opens the door to the church. He opens the door to find a grand stained glass window. It has an image of an angel, blonde with wide wings and a light blue veil over the top half of her face. The light through the glass blinds Pat initially, but he takes a moment to adjust to it and then admires it.

PRIEST  
Familiar, my boy?

Pat turns to his sword and shield to see PRIEST, a slightly overweight, elderly man in traditional clergy robes. Priest doesn't react to Pat's aggression, which confuses Pat.

PRIEST  
You can relax. I'm unarmed.

PAT  
You can never be too careful. Malfested these days can look like anyone.

PRIEST  
Even fat, old priests?

PAT  
That's not the point. If Soul Edge has got its hooks into you, there's no telling what it can do. I've seen it make husbands kill wives and turn good men into beasts.

PRIEST  
And that validates what you're doing here?

PAT  
We're cleansing the country of them. For every life lost here, there's a hundred that will have been saved from the sword's army if it ever rises again. I know innocents die in all this, but how many do we save in the long run by fighting in places like this to drive out those creatures? It's worth it.

PRIEST  
Sounds to me like you've experienced more than your share of loss to this, my son.

PAT  
Sounds to me like you haven't.

PRIEST  
Oh, that's not true in the least. Follow me.

Pat lets down his stance, but leaves his weapons out.

PAT  
Where? Into a trap?

PRIEST  
To the belfry. Young man, look at me. The worst I can do to you is hit you with a well-phrased sermon. The city's yours, I concede, but let an old man show you the pain you've brought upon him.

They walk up the spiral staircase to the belfry. Cannon fire can be heard in the distance.

PRIEST  
A beautiful building, isn't it? Between the glass and the old stone, it's a place of beauty; it's a shame the same can't be said of the outside.

Pat looks confused at what the old man is saying, deciding if any of it even matters.

PRIEST  
Ah, your troops are surrounding them. I have to admit, this is where we're bested. We never had a chance from the beginning, did we?

PAT  
You're a community of merchants and farmers. Graf Dumas has an army. You should've just let us rid you of the malfested.

PRIEST  
Oh, yes and it would have surely stopped at that. In his hunt for the sword and its minions, who has the Graf made his right hand, but the Cardinal that earned his scarlet in blood and a young man hunting the malfested for vengeance, with none of the experience to know the horror he leaves in his wake with every 'crusade'.

Pat is surprised by this.

PAT  
How did you know I wanted vengeance?

PRIEST  
Dear boy, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Who did they take?

PAT  
My sister. She was a child when they stole her. My mother went to fight them, and then they killed her.

PRIEST  
Oh, mercy. Were you close with your sister?

PAT  
We were twins. And infants when all of this happened. I don't know why they'd leave just the one of us. To taunt her, maybe. My mother was a holy warrior, and she'd even had a hand in killing their leader a few years prior, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

PRIEST  
Losing a twin... it's almost like losing half of yourself. I'm so sorry, my son.

PAT  
You said you'd lost something precious to the malfested as well?

PRIEST  
That's right. She saw me through this difficult existence. Something more precious to me than life itself, teeming with hope only to be crushed before my eyes.

PAT  
What was it?

Longshot of the city, with scattered fires, cannon damage on many buildings, shouting, and a battle going on in the east side that seems to be a one-sided slaughter. The Eastern gate opens as Dumas' Main Force pours in, screaming a battle cry.

PRIEST  
The city.

The Church shakes dramatically, as a cannonball hits it.

PRIEST  
We'd better hurry! Get down!

PAT  
You people chose this fight!

PRIEST  
Can we wage a war?! We are not an army! For every malfested you kill, dozens of innocents are sacrificed!

PAT  
Damn it! You don't know what you're talking about! You should've found your malfested and killed them yourselves! When you're not being killed like sheep with a wolf among you, you'll be running to thank us!

Priest rounds the corner to the ground floor to find something that takes the anger off of his face and leaves only sadness. He moves for Pat to descend.

PRIEST  
Are you so sure about that, my boy?

Pat walks down the stairs to see the angel's stained glass image blasted by the cannonball that hit the church. There's rubble from where it hit the church around the stairway, and the church interior is in ruin. Pat moves to say something in sympathy to Priest when he hears a piercing trumpet song, which he recognizes with apprehension.

PAT  
The Cardinal.

Pat walks outside, passing Priest. He opens the heavy wood door of the church, and he sees the marching of the CARDINAL'S ENTOURAGE, dozens upon dozens of crimson accented troops, covered head to toe in an alienating armor, four of them towards the center carry a large gold and crimson box adorned with religious iconography. Pat, in contrast, is dirty from the fighting. Dumas Officer runs up to Pat.

DUMAS OFFICER  
We broke them, sir. The charge from within the town was all that they needed to crack.

PAT  
He ought to enjoy the easy win.

DUMAS OFFICER  
He's in rare form today. Watch out.

PAT  
He may have a gift for the finding the malfested, but he's still one creepy son of a bitch.

A bell rings from within the box. The marching stops. The four bearers of the box stop. Two CARDINAL GUARDS pull and tie the curtain cords. The curtains of the box are drawn back. From the side, THE CARDINAL emerges slowly into a gray sky that begins to roll in. Pat and Dumas officer look on in near fear of the intimidating figure. The Cardinal has his head encased in an intricate golden helm, and body covered in flowing crimson robes. In the helm's face section is a golden mask with a clam, restful, beautiful, androgynous face, and his wrinkled hands are covered in golden rings. His chest plate has a large golden plate of Graf Dumas' symbol with two symmetrical fixtures under his ribs. He steps onto the cobblestone street of the besieged village, stepping gracefully towards Pat, one of his guards on either side. A line of prisoners are marched at spear-point in the opposite direction of the Cardinal Guards and parallel to the Cardinal himself walking towards Pat. Pat looks nervous as Cardinal's porcelain mask towers half a foot above him, even though Cardinal is hunched over.

PAT  
The city's fallen, Cardinal. And without too much of a bloodbath, considering. We should be grateful that the villagers saw reason soon enough.

CARDINAL GUARD  
In respect to your status and effort given to conquer the village, Lord Patroklos, the Cardinal thanks you for your tireless siege, but he reminds you that blood shed in pursuit of the malfested is blood not shed in vain. He will be the judge of these prisoners and rest assured, he will separate the guilty from the pure.

Cardinal walks past Pat, slowly and forcefully, Pat stepping aside, afraid for the Priest.

PAT  
Where are you going? We have a battlefield to sort out.

CARDINAL GUARD  
The Cardinal, in case you forgot, has been given a divine gift to detect the malfested and the deceptions of those under their influence. If you would please stand aside, Lord Patroklos.

Cardinal Guards move forward to open the church door for Cardinal, with Pat tailing behind him, frustrated. Cardinal motions at Priest, still kneeling in sorrow before the destroyed glass for his men to take hold of him. Priest rises and turns, a broken man.

PAT  
I've investigated the church thoroughly and I've found no trace of the creatures here.

Cardinal walks around Priest, who is forced by sadness into silence.

CARDINAL GUARD  
With all due respect, Lord Patroklos, though your loyalty is beyond reproach, your vision remains tethered to this plane. You know nothing of the world of souls beyond this one. The Cardinal sees the heart of evil itself and guides the Graf's divined hand to destroy it.

Cardinal nods to CARDINAL GUARD 2, who grabs Priest by the throat and lifts him, choking him as Priest gasps for air.

PAT  
The Cardinal is blind!

Cardinal Guard 2 drops Priest and Cardinal raises his hand towards the stone wall of the church. Priest springs to terrified life. Two Cardinal Guards, including CARDINAL HALBERDIER, a tall, muscular guard with a gaudily decorated halberd, move toward the wall.

PRIEST  
You have me! I'm a malfested! I confess, just stop this!

PAT  
What?! Like hell you are! Cardinal, he's got nothing left! Leave him be!

Cardinal Halberdier drops his halberd to the ground as to let the weight of the weapon be heard.

CARDINAL GUARD  
You shall come to understand it is you who is blind.

Pat nearly moves to stop Cardinal Halberdier, but Cardinal motions for him to stop. Cardinal Halberdier cleaves his halberd into the wall, and the muffled cries of a child within the wall are heard.

CARDINAL GUARD  
By the authority of Graf Dumas, emerge before our halberdier adjusts his aim.

About ten REFUGEES emerge from the wall, covered in dirt, the wall having been just thick enough to house a person. Priest is speechless in horror and looks pleadingly to Pat.

PRIEST  
You know me, boy! You know I would never aid anyone but the innocent!

Pat looks down in despair. Priest gives up.

PAT  
I know even good men have been fooled by malfested before. You'd best pray you weren't one of them. Even you must understand the consequences.

CARDINAL GUARD  
Put them with the others. Rest assured, you'll meet trial soon and the innocent may put this all behind them.

Cardinal Guards escort out the Refugees and Priest. Priest and some of the refugees look at Pat, who looks away. Dumas Officer steps up to console Pat.

DUMAS OFFICER  
Best not to worry, sir. The Graf's justice may not be given in the most orthodox fashion, but you know as well as I do, it roots out the guilty. Good men don't burn.

Cardinal stands, back facing Pat, standing before the destroyed window, as Pat walks away. Cardinal stands proud, though his hunch remains. Pat steps outside, as rows of marching DUMAS SOLDIERS move past him. He sees at the other end of the street, a military tribunal has already hung several villagers, among them is First Rebel, his hands bound and his body bloody and beaten. Cut back to Pat, looking conflicted. The Soldiers keep marching past Pat, who comments with grim irony.

PAT  
I suppose they don't.

End


End file.
